Islanders build toward impending move

Stephen HarrisTuesday, February 26, 2013

UNIONDALE, N.Y. — The Islanders face 2 1/2 years of a somewhat awkward, lame-duck residence at the aging Nassau Coliseum.

The Bruins, who wrapped up their longest stretch of road games this season here last night with a 4-1 victory, will visit Long Island only a handful of times more before the Isles finally solve their long-running arena drama with a 2015-16 move to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

The Isles will reportedly keep their name and uniforms.

Islanders owner Charles Wang spent years trying to launch a major real estate development centered on a new arena close to Nassau Coliseum, which opened in 1972 and was the site of many great moments in team history. The Isles, of course, won the Stanley Cup in 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983. And from 1980-84, the team won an incredible 19 consecutive playoff series.

That seems long, long ago, and the building is badly outdated and rundown. And there’s no prospect that much money will be spent on upkeep during the remaining time here. The organization is already having a tough time selling tickets, as a crowd of 9,622 for the Feb. 11 game vs. Carolina suggested.

The current players are trying not to look ahead — and to do the best they can until the day they pack up and leave.

“It’s a little too far down the road to start counting the days,” said center Josh Bailey before the game. “Since I’ve been here I’ve enjoyed playing at the Coliseum. It’s an old rink, but the fans are passionate and loud. This building can get rocking. I think when the time comes we’ll be quite excited about moving to the new rink; for the time being we’re quite content to be here.”

For years before the move to Brooklyn was announced last October, Isles players watched Wang try to get his new arena here.

“Charles tried so hard to get a new building here and kind of rebuild the whole area and have a great facility for the fans and the team,” said Bailey. “It just didn’t work out.

“I think going to Brooklyn, it’s only about 20 miles down the road, and it was the best-case scenario beside getting the new rink they wanted to do here.”

It will be sad, though, for many to see the old arena vacated.

“Everyone who’s been over there and seen Barclays, it’s beautiful, state of the art,” defenseman Joe Finley said. “It’s got every bell and whistle. Definitely it’s going to be an upgrade from here.

“But this is still what we call home, and it’s not bad to be around here either. There’s a tremendous tradition here. If these walls could talk, right?”

Islanders star John Tavares said the key is that the uncertainty, the threat of moving to a different state, is gone.

“As players we’re happy the situation is solved and we don’t have to talk about it anymore; we know where we’re going to be,” Tavares said. “We’ve got a few more years here to enjoy this place. There’s been a lot of great history here.

“I think everyone knows it’s time. The rink is old. But there has been some great hockey here. Some great things have happened in this building.”